Serious crimes - robbery, rape, car theft - down 5% in Burbank

BURBANK - Predictive analytics and neighborhood policing are among the factors being cited today for a 5 percent drop in serious crime in Burbank, according to the city's police chief.

The reduction was in so-called Part One crimes, which include robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft, said Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse, a former Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief.

"The department's implementation of cutting-edge contemporary programs such as predictive analytics, neighborhood policing, participation in multidisciplinary task forces and partnering with community-based service providers is serving to improve the quality of life in the city of Burbank," he said in a statement.

Officer-initiated activity since the start of the year is up 18 percent and response times to top-priority calls have held steady at 3 minutes, 41 seconds, he said.

LaChasse also said that alcohol-related incidents are down 32 percent while alcohol-related arrests are up 36 percent since the start of the year.

Reported graffiti is down 41 percent thanks to enforcement efforts, education and community awareness, the chief said.

The reduction in crime comes even as some neighboring communities are seeing increases in criminal activity, he said.